Thirty-five swimmers, including two women, have begun an attempt to swim across the Bangla Channel, a stretch of water off the coast of Bangladesh known for its strong currents. The Bangla Channel forms part of the sea route between Teknaf and St Martin’s Island and measures about 16.1 kilometres. Among the participants is Saiful Islam Russell, a former member of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union, who has previously crossed the Bangla Channel six times and completed a double crossing in 2021. The Bangla Channel swim was first attempted in 2006 under a plan devised by the late scuba diver and cinematographer Kazi Hamidul Haque. The two women taking part this year are Ferdousi Akhtar, a student at Daffodil University, and Shohagi Akhtar, the first woman to have previously completed the Bangla Channel crossing.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 17, 2026 19:12 UTC